Education
For 83 Maritime High School students, the school year now comes with an uncertain future. Mid-afternoon on October 28, Highline Public Schools announced that Superintendent Dr. Ivan Duran is recommending the school board close Maritime at the end of the 2026–27 school year.
The school serves students in ninth through 12th grades, with 14 currently in ninth grade. Maritime earned Gold for Best Trade/Technical School in The Seattle Times’ 2026 Best in the PNW competition.
The Seattle Times reported in March that "girls made up nearly 33% of Maritime’s enrollment and close to 46% of students were not white," citing state data.
Why the district is recommending closure
Highline says enrollment has declined over the past three years and has not grown enough to support the four-year high school model planned for Maritime. The school opened six years ago with the expectation that enrollment would start small and grow.
The district also points to the cost of operating the program and its lack of a permanent home. “Highline has a responsibility to use its limited resources responsibly while ensuring students have access to strong educational opportunities,” the announcement says.
For six years, the district has used additional resources and outside funding to support Maritime. Highline says that was an intentional investment to establish the school, but “continuing that level of support is not sustainable.” The school operates at an interim site, and the district says it has not found a permanent facility.
Highline has made about $8 million in cuts this school year and anticipates another $5 million in reductions for 2027–28. A workgroup convened this week is preparing a report to help the school board consider the recommendation.
A March Seattle Times report found mixed views of Maritime’s academics, changing pathways and hands-on learning.
A March 21 Seattle Times report described challenges Maritime was still working through, including its temporary location and enrollment below the 400 students anticipated when the school opened. Some parents and former students raised concerns about academic preparation, teacher turnover, changes to career pathways and communication. Other families and students valued the school’s hands-on learning and maritime career connections. One parent told the Times, “The pathways have changed almost every year,” and said families wanted something more consistent.
The report also described changes the school had made in response to feedback, including adding math courses and a marine construction pathway. Principal Jamila Gordon said two graduates had been accepted to Cal Poly Maritime and two had jobs with Washington State Ferries. Those developments show the range of experiences families described as the district now considers closure.
What happens to students and staff
“Students and families chose Maritime for a reason,” the district’s announcement says. “We know the possibility of closure raises difficult questions about what comes next.”
If the board approves the closure, Maritime and district staff would work with each student and family on an individual transition plan. The district says the plans would support students’ needs and goals for graduation and beyond. The class of 2027 would graduate as scheduled.
The district also addressed how families and staff learned about the recommendation. Highline said some may have heard the news before the district could share it directly with the Maritime community. “This is not how we wanted to communicate news of this significance,” the announcement says.
The district said Duran acknowledged that the community deserved to hear the news directly and have more time to process it, and that he apologized. The announcement does not include a verbatim quote from Duran.
What happens next
Nov. 18, 2026: School board meeting with an opportunity for public testimony.
Dec. 2, 2026: Public hearing on the proposed closure. Highline says it will share the time, location and testimony sign-up details.
Dec. 9, 2026: School board meeting with public testimony and a scheduled vote on the recommendation.
June 2027: If the board approves the recommendation, Maritime would close at the end of the month.
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Staff Writer
Seattle Times March 21, 2026 article. Maritime High School is Still Finding its Sea Legs: https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/maritime-high-school-is-still-finding-its-sea-legs/
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